Monitoring system
First Claim
1. Apparatus for controlling activation and deactivation of a motor for moving a motor vehicle mounted window, panel or door along a travel path comprising:
- a) a noncontact electric field sensor for monitoring a region in proximity to the window, panel, or door and sensing changes in electric field due to dielectric properties of an object in the region;
b) a switch for controlling energization and de-energization of the motor with an energization signal; and
c) a controller coupled to the switch for controllably energizing and de-energizing the motor and having an interface coupling the controller to the non-contact electric field sensor;
d) said controller comprising a programmable controller including a memory for storing instructions for executing a control program to control an operating state of the motor in response to the non-contact electric field sensor sensing an object in the region in proximity to the window, panel, or door.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Disclosed is an improved system and method for sensing both hard and soft obstructions for a movable panel such as a sunroof. A dual detection scheme is employing that includes an optical sensing as the primary means and electronic sensing of motor current as a secondary means. The secondary means utilizes system empirical precharacterization, fast processing algorithms, motor parameter monitoring including both current sensing and sensorless electronic motor current commutation pulse sensing, and controller memory, to adaptively modify electronic obstacle detection thresholds in real time without the use of templates and cycle averaging techniques.
121 Citations
7 Claims
-
1. Apparatus for controlling activation and deactivation of a motor for moving a motor vehicle mounted window, panel or door along a travel path comprising:
- a) a noncontact electric field sensor for monitoring a region in proximity to the window, panel, or door and sensing changes in electric field due to dielectric properties of an object in the region;
b) a switch for controlling energization and de-energization of the motor with an energization signal; and
c) a controller coupled to the switch for controllably energizing and de-energizing the motor and having an interface coupling the controller to the non-contact electric field sensor;
d) said controller comprising a programmable controller including a memory for storing instructions for executing a control program to control an operating state of the motor in response to the non-contact electric field sensor sensing an object in the region in proximity to the window, panel, or door.
- a) a noncontact electric field sensor for monitoring a region in proximity to the window, panel, or door and sensing changes in electric field due to dielectric properties of an object in the region;
-
2. Apparatus for controlling activation and deactivation of a motor for moving a motor vehicle mounted window, panel or door along a travel path comprising:
- a) a noncontact electromagnetic field sensor for monitoring a region in proximity to an opening bordering the window, panel, or door and sensing changes in electromagnetic field due to dielectric properties of an object in the opening in the region in proximity to said window, panel or door;
b) a switch for controlling energization and de-energization of the motor with an energization signal; and
c) a controller coupled to the switch for controllably energizing and de-energizing the motor and having an interface coupling the controller to the non-contact electromagnetic field sensor;
d) said controller comprising a programmable controller including a memory for storing instructions for executing a control program to control an operating state of the motor in response to the non-contact electromagnetic field sensor sensing an object in the opening in the region in proximity to the window, panel, or door. - View Dependent Claims (3)
- a) a noncontact electromagnetic field sensor for monitoring a region in proximity to an opening bordering the window, panel, or door and sensing changes in electromagnetic field due to dielectric properties of an object in the opening in the region in proximity to said window, panel or door;
-
4. A method for controlling activation and deactivation of a motor for moving a motor vehicle mounted window, panel or door along a travel path comprising:
-
a) positioning a noncontact electric field sensor at a region in proximity to the window, panel, or door for sensing an object in the region; b) monitoring changes in electric field due to dielectric properties of an object in the region; c) controlling energization and de-energization of the motor with an energization signal; d) coupling a programmable controller to the motor for controllably energizing and de-energizing the motor and also coupling the programmable controller to the non-contact electric field sensor; and e) programming said programmable controller with a control program to control an operating state of the motor in response to the non-contact electric field sensor sensing an object in the region in proximity to the window, panel, or door.
-
-
5. A method for controlling activation and deactivation of a motor for moving a motor vehicle mounted window, panel or door along a travel path comprising:
-
a) positioning a noncontact electromagnetic field sensor at a region in proximity to an opening bordering the window, panel, or door for sensing an object in the region; b) monitoring changes in electromagnetic field due to dielectric properties of an object within the opening in the region in proximity to said window, panel or door; c) controlling energization and de-energization of the motor with an energization signal; d) coupling a programmable controller to the motor for controllably energizing and de-energizing the motor and also coupling the programmable controller to the non-contact magnetic field sensor; and e) programming said programmable controller with a control program to control an operating state of the motor in response to the non-contact electromagnetic field sensor sensing an object within the opening in the region in proximity to the window, panel, or door.
-
-
6. Apparatus for controlling activation and deactivation of a motor for moving a motor vehicle mounted window, panel or door along a travel path comprising:
- a) a noncontact magnetic field sensor for monitoring a region in proximity to an opening bordering the window, panel, or door and sensing changes in magnetic field due to inductive properties of an object in the opening in the region in proximity to said window, panel or door;
b) a switch for controlling energization and de-energization of the motor with an energization signal; and
c) a controller coupled to the switch for controllably energizing and de-energizing the motor and having an interface coupling the controller to the non-contact magnetic field sensor;
d) said controller comprising a programmable controller including a memory for storing instructions for executing a control program to control an operating state of the motor in response to the non-contact magnetic field sensor sensing an object in the opening in the region in proximity to the window, panel, or door.
- a) a noncontact magnetic field sensor for monitoring a region in proximity to an opening bordering the window, panel, or door and sensing changes in magnetic field due to inductive properties of an object in the opening in the region in proximity to said window, panel or door;
-
7. A method for controlling activation and deactivation of a motor for moving a motor vehicle mounted window, panel or door along a travel path comprising:
-
a) positioning a noncontact magnetic field sensor at a region in proximity to an opening bordering the window, panel, or door for sensing an object in the region; b) monitoring changes in magnetic field due to inductive properties of an object within the opening in the region in proximity to said window, panel or door; c) controlling energization and de-energization of the motor with an energization signal; d) coupling a programmable controller to the motor for controllably energizing and de-energizing the motor and also coupling the programmable controller to the non-contact magnetic field sensor; and e) programming said programmable controller with a control program to control an operating state of the motor in response to the non-contact magnetic field sensor sensing an object within the opening in the region in proximity to the window, panel, or door.
-
Specification